Written Answers Friday 19 November 2010

Scottish Executive

Animal Welfare

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what public funding has been made available since 2008 for the development and delivery of snaring training courses run by the (a) Scottish Gamekeepers Association, (b) Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and (c) British Association for Shooting and Conservation.

Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Natural Heritage, through the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime Scotland fund, provided funding of £2,438 to the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, towards the training of snaring course instructors, to enable them to provide training for others in the use of snares that is compliant with best practice as regards animal welfare and as regards the law on snaring, including the proposed new regulation of snaring in the Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill.

Benefits

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made since it agreed to undertake a review of the school clothing grant system in 2007.

Keith Brown: A short life working group was established in 2008 to undertake a review of both free school meal and school clothing grant provision across Scotland. The working group comprised a partnership involving the Scottish Government, COSLA and The Third Sector. The group produced a final report which is being considered by Ministers.

Benefits

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to discuss with the UK Government its proposals for the localisation of council tax benefits.

John Swinney: I intend to do so.

Benefits

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to discuss with COSLA the UK Government’s proposals for the localisation of council tax benefits.

John Swinney: I intend to do so.

Benefits

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will discuss with the voluntary sector the implications on that sector of the UK Government’s proposal to require recipients of benefits to work unpaid as a condition of continuing to receive benefits.

Keith Brown: We intend that such discussions should take place. A meeting with relevant officials will be taken forward.

Business Rates

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-35881 and S3W-35882 by John Swinney on 7 October 2010, how many business properties are eligible for rates relief of (a) 100%, (b) 50% and (c) 25% under the small business bonus scheme as of 1 October 2010.

John Swinney: As stated in my answer to S3W-35882, final figures on take-up of Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) for the current year will be available in 2011.

  However, following the 2010 revaluation and the uplift and expansion of SBBS, latest estimates indicate the number of properties which are potentially eligible for SBBS has increased from 102,070 in 2009-10 (pre-revaluation) to 114,657 in 2010-11 (post-revaluation). That represents an increase of just over 12%.

  Throughout 2010-11 we will continue to encourage businesses that are eligible for SBBS to take-up the relief to which they are entitled.

Business Rates

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-36251 by John Swinney on 7 October 2010, what the total non-domestic rates payable were in each local authority area as of 1 April in each year from 2005 to 2009.

John Swinney: The following table shows the Non-Domestic Rates payable to each local authority for the years requested.

  

Local Authorities
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09


 
£s
£s
£s
£s


Aberdeen City
128,382,453
127,788,615
129,724,462
134,854,597


Aberdeenshire
51,898,043
53,119,127
54,147,403
55,702,993


Angus
22,681,380
22,779,371
22,704,487
22,636,003


Argyll and Bute
27,390,265
27,014,186
27,161,646
25,268,638


Clackmannanshire
11,919,201
12,279,220
11,998,587
12,128,277


Dumfries and Galloway
35,484,794
35,025,950
35,341,068
36,583,533


Dundee City
60,839,815
59,851,830
59,392,999
61,081,165


East Ayrshire
27,022,446
25,845,998
26,051,706
26,274,958


East Dunbartonshire
19,544,791
19,953,104
19,835,365
20,181,874


East Lothian
14,816,542
15,931,016
16,680,693
17,237,226


East Renfrewshire
11,614,569
11,773,430
12,026,278
12,177,464


Edinburgh, City of
281,894,322
284,429,242
285,740,621
294,922,390


Eilean Siar
5,580,236
5,452,756
5,546,953
5,550,135


Falkirk
57,832,324
56,571,909
55,834,386
57,380,117


Fife
119,504,914
118,988,495
118,867,291
120,861,427


Glasgow City
301,435,976
300,792,650
300,056,667
312,531,931


Highland
76,231,135
82,106,087
82,195,013
85,150,121


Inverclyde
20,072,740
19,121,380
19,080,513
19,034,970


Midlothian
19,543,047
19,900,092
20,335,070
21,283,181


Moray
24,656,742
23,783,593
24,033,467
24,394,016


North Ayrshire
33,327,330
31,794,634
31,689,291
31,873,458


North Lanarkshire
98,194,438
96,148,460
98,125,870
100,883,994


Orkney
6,926,342
7,040,902
7,053,447
6,878,296


Perth and Kinross
43,996,764
44,675,583
44,418,292
44,437,456


Renfrewshire
71,895,913
70,946,970
73,182,184
73,159,470


Scottish Borders
21,283,290
21,822,573
23,088,361
22,869,828


Shetland
12,424,394
12,292,787
12,353,202
12,259,032


South Ayrshire
34,863,199
35,383,567
35,510,712
35,970,422


South Lanarkshire
185,465,982
177,274,569
172,848,103
176,864,122


Stirling
35,316,900
35,621,639
35,672,509
36,820,420


West Dunbartonshire
59,915,669
59,291,905
56,667,661
59,490,762


West Lothian
60,501,305
62,236,393
63,396,987
66,707,592



  Notes:

  1. All figures are from the audited Non-Domestic Rate Income returns from the relevant financial year.

  2.Figures relate to gross amount of Non-Domestic Rates income minus mandatory and discretionary reliefs.

  3.Backdated Small Business Bonus Scheme and Small Business Rates Relief Scheme are not included (i.e. there is no reduction for these).

  4.Figures exclude bad debts, rates written offs and refunds for overpayments.

Business Rates

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S3W-36257 by John Swinney on 7 October 2010, what its income was from non-domestic rates from each local authority area in each year from 2005-06 to 2008-09.

John Swinney: The following table shows the amount of business rates income collected by each local authority between 2005-06 to 2008-09.

  

Local Authorities
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09


 
£s
£s
£s
£s


Aberdeen City
127,291,272
122,604,982
138,469,643
124,143,614


Aberdeenshire
51,198,649
53,093,744
53,362,896
53,733,621


Angus
22,233,522
22,788,427
22,172,382
21,388,941


Argyll & Bute
26,967,799
26,627,574
26,398,178
20,377,258


Clackmannanshire
11,608,903
11,765,628
10,793,546
11,468,621


Dumfries & Galloway
34,560,389
34,187,475
34,875,970
35,716,976


Dundee City
58,846,940
57,802,261
57,784,368
58,399,990


East Ayrshire
26,249,971
25,055,970
25,229,486
24,477,922


East Dunbartonshire
19,016,800
19,053,393
18,970,434
19,302,792


East Lothian
14,612,022
16,113,738
16,505,060
16,752,877


East Renfrewshire
11,485,371
11,658,305
11,576,257
11,805,242


Edinburgh, City of
279,396,486
280,708,369
278,897,969
279,905,716


Eilean Siar
5,510,520
5,305,408
5,460,840
5,282,937


Falkirk
56,466,473
55,641,107
53,673,340
55,066,248


Fife
117,830,098
117,327,939
116,946,656
115,134,630


Glasgow City
282,733,441
287,465,074
287,091,783
292,651,136


Highland
75,585,529
86,018,529
76,407,739
80,997,965


Inverclyde
19,430,495
18,555,568
18,316,247
17,689,376


Midlothian
19,253,630
19,734,603
19,756,425
20,135,319


Moray
23,578,141
17,874,681
23,779,427
23,413,092


North Ayrshire
32,547,321
30,365,478
30,910,814
30,157,446


North Lanarkshire
94,321,138
91,786,391
92,242,028
93,801,761


Orkney
6,880,760
7,156,821
6,977,954
6,095,020


Perth & Kinross
43,153,561
45,441,409
42,518,983
43,312,047


Renfrewshire
68,706,967
67,907,469
69,924,112
65,663,293


Scottish Borders
20,979,720
22,194,298
22,975,359
21,535,229


Shetland
12,498,598
12,129,176
12,242,974
11,571,893


South Ayrshire
34,013,912
35,228,816
34,212,473
33,544,224


South Lanarkshire
182,790,018
176,929,367
169,567,369
173,097,356


Stirling
34,855,168
35,559,764
34,625,857
35,271,247


West Dunbartonshire
58,839,361
56,614,123
55,084,241
57,663,946


West Lothian
59,987,456
62,321,312
60,737,687
64,213,801



  Note: *These figures are based on audited returns by individual local authorities.

Business Rates

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-36259 by John Swinney on 7 October 2010, what the cost would have been of introducing transitional relief for businesses facing increased bills as a result of rates revaluation from 1 April 2010 that capped increases in rates payable at (a) 15%, (b) 20%, (c) 25% and (d) 37.5% per year, if that cost had been calculated on the basis of rateable values at 1 April 2010.

John Swinney: This analysis requires property valuations from both the 2005 and 2010 revaluations to be compared.

  As valuation appeals are now beginning to be settled, the dataset containing rateable values of properties as at 1 April 2010 will contain information which is increasingly out of date. Additionally, the deadline for lodging appeals on the grounds of material changes against the 2005 revaluation was 30 September and successful resolution of these appeals will reduce the rateable values of properties, changing the underlying dataset.

  As such, it would be misleading to now revisit both the 2005 and 2010 datasets and model transitional relief schemes based on out of date data.

Business Rates

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-36259 by John Swinney on 7 October 2010, what it estimates the cost would be of introducing transitional relief for businesses facing increased bills as a result of rates revaluation from 1 April 2010 that capped increases in rates payable at (a) 12.5%, (b) 15%, (c) 20%, (d) 25% and (e) 37.5% per year, if that cost were calculated on the basis of rateable values at 1 October 2010.

John Swinney: Regardless of where the cap was set, to reintroduce transitional relief would involve rebilling tens of thousands of businesses with significantly increased bills in order to fund the scheme. If such a scheme was to be backdated to 1 October 2010 this would additionally involve clawing back savings already passed on in full to those 94,000 premises who saw bills fall following the revaluation.

Concessionary Travel

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered, is considering or will consider introducing a travel concession scheme offering reduced ferry fares for Scottish students aged 19 and over.

Stewart Stevenson: We have no current plans to introduce such a ferry travel concession scheme.

Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in expanding school-college partnerships for 14 to 16-year-olds.

Keith Brown: School College Partnerships are in place across all thirty two local authorities, with the majority of colleges having arrangements with more than one local authority.

  School college enrolments for the 14 to 16 year old age bracket, over the last three academic years, are as follows:

  2006-07 – 27,290

  2007-08 – 33,288

  2008-09 – 36,200

  The figures for 2008-09 are the most recent currently available from the Scottish Funding Council.

Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken since May 2007 to help colleges develop their role in the (a) economy and (b) community.

Keith Brown: Ministers recognise the substantial expertise of colleges themselves in delivering the activity which best supports the development of the economy and communities. The Scottish Government has supported this activity through measures such as the provision of funding for 8,500 extra college places in 2009-10 and 2010-11 to help colleges meet increased demand for places. We have also provided record annual funding to the college sector since 2007, bringing expenditure in 2010-11 to £693.2million, a cash increase of 6.9%

Environment

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the rise in carbon emissions from transport since 1990 as reported in Scottish Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2008, what action it is taking to make journeys greener.

Stewart Stevenson: The Climate Change Delivery Plan published in 2009 suggests that emissions from transport should reduce by 27% by 2020 if the overall target of a 42% emissions reduction over this period is to be met. It highlights the need for complete decarbonisation of road transport through the widespread uptake of low carbon vehicles, and for significant decarbonisation of rail transport, by 2050.

  A programme of transport emission reduction measures is being considered by Ministers for inclusion in the statutory Report on Proposals and Policies for meeting Scotland’s ambitious climate change targets. This report is being prepared in the context of the development of the draft Scottish Budget. It is intended that these documents be published in November.

  In the meantime, Conserve and Save, the Scottish Government’s Energy Efficiency Action Plan, published in October 2010 sets out a number of key actions required to reduce transport energy consumption by (a) reducing the need to travel (b) widening travel choices to include more sustainable transport options and (c) efficiencies in driving and in the transport network.

  An action plan to deliver the widespread uptake of low carbon vehicles envisaged in the Climate Change Delivery Plan will be published later this year. For 2010-11, Transport Scotland has committed £4.3 million to support Community Planning Partnership procurement of low carbon vehicles, and for the provision of supportive infrastructure. Bus operators are also benefiting from the Scottish Green Bus Fund, which is providing £4.4 million in the current financial year to assist the purchase of low carbon buses. In addition, Transport Scotland and a range of public and private sector partners have submitted a joint bid under the UK Government funded Plugged-in Places electric vehicle infrastructure scheme. If successful, this proposal will see a critical mass of infrastructure placed throughout central and southern Scotland by 2013.

  The Cycling Action Plan for Scotland published earlier this year sets the framework for a ten-fold increase by 2020 in the number of journeys that are made by bicycle. Total funding in support of cycling in Scotland in 2010-11 is £17.3 million. The £15 million Smarter Choices Smarter Places joint programme with COSLA supports sustainable travel demonstration projects in seven communities across Scotland i.e. Kirkwall, Dundee, Larbert and Stenhousemuir, Kirkintilloch and Lenzie, Glasgow East End, Barrhead and Dumfries.

  We are also working to reduce emissions from the movement of goods. The latest report of the Freight Best Practice Scotland programme suggests savings of 33,173 tonnes of CO2 emissions and nearly £14 million for operators in 2009-10.

  In addition, the Scottish Government operates four freight grant schemes. These schemes have the aim of encouraging the transfer of freight from road to rail or water, where the road option is cheaper. Our commitment to modal shift is demonstrated by our freight budget of £10.3 million in 2010-11. A recent example of the support that we provide is the award of Mode Shift Revenue Support of £121,000 to the Great Glen Shipping Company which I announced on 29 October. This six month pilot project will transport over 7,000 tonnes of timber by boat on the Caledonian canal rather than by lorry on the A82.

Environment

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the need for the notification of new Sites of Special Scientific Interest for biological features.

Roseanna Cunningham: The notification of Sites of Special Scientific Interest is a statutory duty of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) under section 3 of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.

  SNH regards the SSSI network as being substantially complete but maintains a policy of considering possible additions in certain limited circumstances (e.g. where a new SSSI is necessary to regulate operations in order to fulfil requirements which are associated with Natura 2000 sites).

Land Ownership

Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what surplus land owned by it or its agencies has been sold or offered for sale under the Crichel Down rules since 2007 and on what date it (a) became surplus and (b) was sold or offered for sale.

John Swinney: The information requested is not held centrally.

Local Government Services

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities fund an in-house money advice service.

John Swinney: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Local Government Services

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities give grant funding to Citizens Advice Bureaux in their areas.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37035 on 19 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx

National Health Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS managers made or make up the NHS Executive Managers Cohort in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10 and (d) 2010-11.

Nicola Sturgeon: There is no specific staff group called the NHS Executive Managers cohort. There are currently two distinct cohorts subject to the same overall pay arrangements: the "Executive Cohort" and the "Senior Management Cohort". Definitions of each are set out in circular HDL (2006)59. These definitions of staff groupings applied from 2006, however assimilation to new pay scales and terms and conditions was ongoing over a number of years.

  Information published on the Workforce Statistics website at:

  www.isdscotland.org/workforce shows the number of management grades (non Agenda for Change) was as follows on 30 September of each year:

  

2007
1,914


2008
1,503


2009
1,377



  However further investigation has shown these figures include staff who were still on Whitley grades who were not members of the Executive or Senior Management cohorts as per the 2006 circular. Therefore additional information has been sought from the NHSScotland national payroll system, which provides an accurate record of the cohorts. The below figures represent the combined totals of all staff on grades  A to I in both the Executive and Senior Management cohorts at 30 September of each year.

  

2007
1,386


2008
1,288


2009
1,282



  Data is not yet available for 2010.

Scottish Government Procurement

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to include environmental clauses in all public procurement contracts to promote the sustainable use of resources as well as reduced carbon emissions.

John Swinney: The Scottish Sustainable Procurement Action Plan, published in October 2009, provides detailed guidance on embedding sustainability into public procurement activity. The Plan describes the various ways, including the use of environmental contract clauses where appropriate, that procurement activity can promote sustainable use of resources.

Scottish Government Procurement

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on basing the awarding of public procurement contracts on the environmental sustainability credentials of applicants.

John Swinney: Good procurement strikes a balance between delivering savings, delivering quality and buying sustainably. Contracts are normally awarded on the basis of the characteristics, including environmental characteristics where relevant, of the goods or services to be provided. Where they are relevant to the applicant’s suitability to bid or to performance of the contract, the environmental and sustainability credentials of applicants may be considered alongside other credentials as part of the procurement process.

Scottish Government Procurement

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered introducing a requirement in public procurement contracts for the use of fresh food.

John Swinney: Existing Scottish Government guidelines on sustainable development in public sector contracts for food and catering services highlights the opportunity for public bodies to specify fresh and seasonal produce in food and catering contracts. The guidance is currently being updated and will be reissued early in 2011.

  The Scottish Government’s own contract for catering services reflects the advantages and importance of fresh produce and is anticipated to deliver an increase in fresh produce within Scottish Government staff restaurants.

Scottish Government Staff

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are plans to relocate civil service posts to Moray.

John Swinney: The Government will consider this issue as part of its economic strategy in Moray. The immediate priority of the Moray Task Force and the Scottish Government is to present a strong argument to the UK Government as to why the RAF presence should be retained. The Scottish Government has made it clear it will do all that it can to support the community in Moray but we will also continue to press the UK Government to recognise its responsibilities.